


Fault Lines

by Dreamfang



Series: Lost Chapters of Latent Venom [2]
Category: VALORANT (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Character Study, Gen, Non-Consensual Touching, REYGE, Same universe as Latent Venom, Torture, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:21:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29041560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamfang/pseuds/Dreamfang
Summary: Sage is isolated from the rest of her group while on a mission in Japan. Getting cornered by Kingdom's worst menace leads to a scarring aftermath, and yet still, far more disturbing implications.Perhaps mercy is too kind for some.
Series: Lost Chapters of Latent Venom [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2084760
Comments: 10
Kudos: 19





	Fault Lines

**Author's Note:**

> I know Sage's abilities are not crystal, but I had no idea what to call them. When they confirm what it is, I'll change it here...
> 
> So, warning for some descriptive violence, and a creepy Reyna. This takes place before Latent Venom

It took her little time to reach this point — to be able to wield a vast array of guns and use them accurately, as well as being able to work with a group of agents on various tasks. Her background was far from simple, but it did not immediately suit Valorant's needs.

Sage was a monk, well learnt in healthcare, the martial arts and teachings of the monasteries she travelled between. Her Radiant gift merely assisted in her work and training others to heal and learn, as well as their ability to fight. She was a master of both non-lethal and lethal combat. Though, she had hesitated for years to embrace the latter.

Kingdom unfortunately forced her hand in that regard, to learn to use welded steel and bullets to take down her opponents when needed. Her role as a sentinel was mostly supportive — Sage rested better when she was not the one to deal the killing blows — with healing and physical utilities to help take out their opponents.

This Valorant mission was a simple one. The assembled four-man team were agents who had not been on the field in a while due to varying reasons, and thus the goal was merely to disable a radianite cache Kingdom recently received in Japan before it was harvested for energy.

Sage and Raze had remained behind the group as both a distraction and a means to quickly take out the Kingdom soldiers that arrived at their flank. The combination of Sage’s slowing pools, crystal walls and the Brazilian's explosives made for an efficient deathtrap.

Raze had taken her position on top of the wall Sage placed, while the healer lurked on the geometric roofs above, tossing a slow orb and refreshing the wall when necessary. The flow of soldiers was slowly diminishing and the gunshots behind them slowly increased in intensity.

 _"Spike planted."_ Sova's voice came to life on their comms, along with the soft sound of his bow unfolding.

"I believe the soldiers are rotating to the other entrance," Sage said, having walked a little ways away from the planting site.

 _"Check if you can,"_ Viper spoke, her voice slightly muffled from the mask she donned. _"If that's the case, then there's no point staying there."_

"Of course." Sage ensured her Phantom was loaded, then glanced to Raze.

The Brazilian clipped the safety pin back on her grenade and gave the healer a thumbs up. "You wanna check, or should I?"

"I will. Return to the others for now. They may be overwhelmed soon."

"Alright! Stay safe." 

Raze leapt off the wall and raced back to the rest of the team while Sage pushed forward slowly, her aim at the general torso area. She looked over to the pathways below in case there were any enemies waiting in ambush.

Strangely, it was rather quiet back here, even with the ambient sounds of industrial buildings working, and the gentle wind around them. Something still felt off — her gut had pangs of anxiety for reasons she could not place.

 _Is this a trap?_ Sage wondered as she reached the end of the set of roofs she stood on. She checked beyond the edge, just in case, but only saw birds and plants at the end of her rifle.

"There is nothi-"

Sage felt a powerful push at her back, sending her stumbling a few steps forward towards the edge of the roof. Sage struggled to get her footing in time, with the heel of her left boot slipping off the edge.

She let out a gasp as she instead turned her body and caught herself on the rooftop, her gun dangling from the cord looped over her shoulder. The three story fall would surely cause harm if she failed to grab the ledge. It would not be a problem if she did not have a powerful, Radiant enemy looming in front of her.

" _Ay corazón._ Did you get a fright?"

Sage gave a sharp look at the Mexican, who had an amused smile dancing on her lips as she crouched down.

"You ordered them away, Reyna?" Sage said, adding in the woman's name so her team could hear it.

"Not really. There's no point emptying Raze's pockets. But you..."

Reyna's tattooed hand traced the shape of Sage's face with a light touch, staring by her brow line, and cresting down to her jaw. Sage shifted her head away, but Reyna merely followed.

 _"Reyna? Shit..."_ Viper cursed. _"Sova, go check on her."_

"Why are you all alone here? Did they delegate you to a more harmless task? Or was Raze too loud?" Reyna tilted Sage's head a little higher, giving her a quizzical look.

Sage sighed, internally despising the patronising attitude this woman had.

"I do not need your aid," Sage said as she glanced below her again, then back to Reyna's gaze.

 _"Are you certain you'll be fine?"_ Sova enquired, some hesitance to his tone.

Reyna merely shrugged, her hand lowering down towards Sage's white and jade coloured robe.

With that, Sage pushed herself away from the roof before Reyna's fingers even ghosted her clothes, taking one orb from her belt and quickly shifting its form as she tossed it against the building. Then, she weaved the motion of her hands like a moderate curve.

The crystal moved the same way where it impacted the stone, forming a slope down towards the ground. Sage landed feet first then on her knees as continued her journey to the ground with some slight imbalance — it was not every day she shifted her barrier in such a shape and travelled atop it.

"Nice trick. Let's see how long you'll last," Reyna snickered, leaping on the crystal path after her.

Sage hit the ground running, not bothering to check behind her — Reyna's footfalls were roughly six steps away. This was not the first time Reyna elected to cut her off from the rest of the team. Whether it was for tactical reasons, or the woman was toying with her, she was uncertain.

Something told her it was the latter, though.

At least here, Sage could lead the chase. Circling back to her team would be difficult, given the narrow, maze-like pathways in Japan. She did not expect Reyna to go after her, and not the Spike the other three were defending.

The chatter of her team was muted in her mind. They were speaking about soldier locations and the progress of the Spike. Sage took an orb and tossed it at the wall she passed, creating a slow field behind her.

The crackling of glass was heard, along with a scoff. The healer took the opportunity to sprint for a few meters, putting as much space as possible between herself and her pursuer.

Gunshots rang out behind her, with a few passing by her head. Sage ducked and veered into the left turn of the junction. She paused a few steps in, turning around and creating a barrier where she came from before continuing her run at a moderate pace.

Unlike people such as Jett, Sage had to pace herself, lest she become exhausted at an inopportune moment. 

_"Raze-"_

_"Here comes the party!"_ The Brazilian's voice drowned out Viper's, the rocket echoing in the background of the comms.

They were likely heading off site. It was still a wonder why they had not modified Kingdom's Spikes to be non-lethal. Was it shame, or something else?

Sage focused her mind on her situation, turning into a smaller pathway and slowed to a halt. Her breathing was slightly taxed as she listened out for any sign of Reyna.

There were no footsteps, or taunts, only the sounds of something tapping against metal. She did not hear her wall get harmed either. Sage risked peeking her head back where she came from, checking both sides of the pathway before retreating away again.

She flinched when her comms blared out suddenly with the sound of the Spike. That was far louder than the healer was comfortable with.

 _"Are you alright, Sage?"_ Viper's voice spoke up a few seconds later.

"I lost Reyna. Is everyone safe?" Sage queried back, keeping her tone levelled.

_"Everyone's fine. Where are you?"_

Sage glanced upwards, looking for a building or point she could recognise. They all looked generic, or covered the view of other angles.

"I am uncertain," Sage admitted, keeping her annoyance internal. "I will try to rotate back, then head to extraction from there."

 _"I can deploy my drone, and search for you?"_ Sova offered.

"It is better if I keep moving," Sage continued forward as she spoke. "I do not think Reyna is far from me."

If Reyna could sneak up on her while she was checking the roofs, she would not put it past the woman to be lurking somewhere nearby. It gave Sage a sense of dread, knowing how relentless Reyna could be. Why she had a fixation for Sage was beyond her — they were opposites, yes, but that was where their similarities — or lack thereof — ended.

 _"Sova, follow her trail. Raze, with me. I'm not dealing with heroes today,"_ Viper said with a venomous finality Sage did not wish to challenge.

Footsteps suddenly sounded nearby, as if it was right on top of her. Sage sighed as she broke into a run and ducked into another roofed alley, and swiftly raised a wall to block the path.

She turned around, barely raising her Phantom up in time as Reyna slid between the roof and the crystal wall before the gap closed and landed ahead of her. Then, she charged at the healer.

Four bullets rang out before the empress collided with her, pushing her against the barrier with more force than expected.

Sage grunted as her head slammed against the wall, her gun skewed to the side as Reyna pressed flush against Sage, her hands reaching for the healer's wrists and pinning them against the crystal barrier with practiced ease.

Still, Sage struggled against her grip, but all she managed to achieve was allowing Reyna to slide her thigh between Sage's legs, and leaned against it. She was pinned, and more than a little _useless_ at writhing out of this predicament.

"Hmm." Reyna pulled back a few centimeters, eyeing the monk as she slowly moved Sage's hands together, and grasped them firmly in one hand.

"Get off me," Sage demanded, the neutrality barely maintained in her tone as she tugged against Reyna.

She could also feel her face getting warmer at this... invasion of her personal space. Why was the woman so warm to the touch?

Reyna's grip tightened as she merely used her free hand to check Sage's ears, pulling out the communications device from her right one. She brought it close to her mouth, and crushed it with her fangs, before turning her head and spitting the device out.

"Now, we won't get interrupted, will we?" Reyna said with an ominous, husky tone.

Sage mustered a glare, putting her fear away for the moment. "You caught me, and you will likely kill me, or take me back to Kingdom. There is nothing to interrupt."

Reyna chuckled, pulling Sage's wrists higher and held them against the crystal wall as her free hand came up and cupped Sage's cheek. "They can wait. Right now, the elusive Sage is mine."

Reyna was surprisingly warm for such a cold-blooded menace. The hand on her cheek was gentle, like the woman had some unknown concern or soothed an issue Sage was not aware of.

"Tell me, why do you prefer running instead of fighting me?" Reyna queried. "You could be a deadly opponent."

"Those are choices I made based on the situation," Sage responded evenly.

"I can't be too disappointed, I suppose. It's never hard catching you."

Sage paused, her eyes widened at the comment. This was just a game to the Mexican, a tally to keep track of. But this was the first time they were far from Valorant, and that unsettled the monk.

"But it's amusing each time, so I don't mind chasing after you, little dove. This time, I'd like to take my prize."

"I will give you _nothing,"_ Sage bit back in defiance, a steeled gaze meeting the Vampire's own hungry eyes.

"Really? And what will you do, hmm?" Reyna brushed some loose hair behind Sage's ear as she spoke. "You put yourself in my hands. Admit it, you're too weak to escape me. Maybe you like being pinned by-"

Sage threw her head forward, slamming her forehead against the bridge of Reyna's nose with as much force as she could muster. The woman hissed, pulling her hand away from Sage's hair to clutch at her face as she leaned back.

Sage took the opportunity to pull her wrists against Reyna's grip. But it was far less successful with Reyna's vice-like grip, and the way she held them higher.

"So, you can bite. I was worried they restrained you too much." Reyna wiped some blood from her face, and looked down on the healer.

Their heights were similar, but Sage stood somewhat shorter than Reyna. The comment however confused the healer. Did Reyna mean Valorant? Was she merely messing with Sage?

"I am not as defenseless as you think I am."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Even _criaturas_ fight back when cornered."

Sage held her head high, silently refusing the insult. Reyna hardly knew Sage, what she was capable of, and what she had achieved already. Her arrogance knew no bounds, of that, the healer was certain.

Reyna shot a wicked smile as she grabbed Sage's raised chin and tilted it higher.

In an instant, a sharp pain bloomed in her neck along with a sudden warmth. Sage grunted as Reyna bit into her skin, right on her pulse, and began draining it.

Sage's struggle renewed, trying to find a way she could push Reyna off her, or get those fangs away from her jugular. But her wrists remained pinned, and Reyna's leg pressed between her own was too high to cross over. Reyna kept her still as she feasted on Sage's neck, her warm breath mixing with the scent of jasmine.

Reyna's free hand released her chin and began tracing her form, exploring what she could of the monk’s body without outright ravaging her clothes. It disgusted Sage how Reyna took advantage of this, and with how easily she flinched and reacted to the groping Reyna subjected her to.

She could _feel_ her blood leaving her body as the Vampire drank and sucked her skin. It was like Reyna had not had any water or an equivalent drink in days, and was finally presented with a jug of it. It did not seem like the woman was going to slow her pace anytime soon.

Her heart quickened at the thought. What if Reyna was just bleeding her dry, or placing her by death's door for easier handling? Or worse, this was a trap for the rest of her team, and Sage had led them straight into danger without warning.

Sage tilted her head enough to glance at her hands, shifting them slightly so they faced each other. It was an awkward position, but so long as they could move, she was not completely powerless. 

She was also extremely fortunate the wall behind them was her own, and not the alley's.

She took a deep breath to calm her lightheadedness, and made a flourished gesture backwards. Immediately, the wall lost its solidity.

Reyna's fang unhooked from her neck as they both fell back into the crystal, with Sage doing her best to move out of Reyna's grasp as she flicked her hands. It hardened ahead of her, while remaining mostly passable on the healer's side.

Sage could see Reyna fighting to pull her limbs back from the crystal, growling with annoyance. Some blood trickled from the sides of her mouth, deep red in colour. Sage quickly backed out through the wall to where she came from.

 _"Maldición..._ You're going to choke me in your wall, is that it? How cruel..."

Sage ignored the feigned pain from the woman and solidified the wall again, sparing a moment to press her hand against her neck and mend the damaged skin, and adjust her clothes to sit properly on herself again. She could not replace the blood Reyna took — which was enough to make her feel a sense of dizziness — but it would prevent further blood loss at least.

"Do not toy with me, or any of us. You will always lose," Sage stated.

She did not wait for an answer as she turned back and began heading towards the plant site with an increased pace. She only spared a glance as she heard something akin to a wail, but it was not human in nature. It would not surprise her if the sound was something hitting the wall, like the Vampire's teeth.

Sage turned the corner, and waited beside the wall, her gun ready. Despite her faith in her abilities, Sage did not underestimate Reyna. Her walls were not impenetrable, and the woman had done combat feats that puzzled Valorant many times before — surviving Viper's poisons, avoiding Sova's sonar, escaping Killjoy's lockdown — it was a wonder how she was capable of such things.

She could wait here with the upper hand, until either Reyna passed, or she heard Valorant's movements. It was a pity she did not have any comms to give an update on, but she trusted they would be here soon. Maybe they could even catch Reyna and be done with her permanently.

It was a harsh thought to consider, damming someone to death or imprisonment, but Reyna was... Sage lacked the words to describe it. An annoyance? A villain? Words that described part of a whole, but in a terribly inaccurate way.

But, that was not Sage's business. Reyna was not her immediate concern. It was the people they were trying to save from Kingdom.

Sage raised her gun, hearing the now-familiar footsteps coming closer, and a heavier, pained breathing.

Taking a life was never her strong suit, but if need be, she would take Reyna's. Her finger rested on the trigger, tensed, and ready to fire.

A purple light passed by her, and immediately her whole vision went blurred and indigo. Sage could feel her eyes sting as she opened fire and moved backwards.

Reyna briefly flashed in her vision as she tackled Sage against the alley wall, ceasing the gunshots. The sound of metal embedding itself in concrete was apparent and close to the healer's ear.

It registered as soon as the hazed vision passed and the pain grew into a fire in her hand. Sage let out a heavy gasp as she saw the centre of her hand pierced by a jagged dagger, just like Jett's had been. Now, the wound pulsed in pain along with her heartbeat.

Sage looked to Reyna's annoyed expression. Had she done that to Jett? How did Reyna even escape?

 _"Sage,"_ Reyna started, grabbing at the healer's neck, "How many have you killed like that?"

"None," she responded with some strain, the woman's grip almost tight enough to constrict airflow. "I never had to do that before."

"So graceful, so gentle," she scoffed, her eyes glancing over to Sage's free hand, which held at the satchel on Sage's own belt. "I thought I had you, and now you're forcing me to hurt you."

Sage's own knife was close, but she doubted she could strike at Reyna before the woman reacted. She had to wait for a distraction, an opportune moment to attack Reyna, and put her down.

"Leave me be. Valorant will not be merciful," Sage reasoned. "I will not tell them where you went."

Reyna scoffed again, but in more of a mock laughter. "Here we go with Valorant again. I thought your kind were so _independent."_

"I have learnt that teamwork is more beneficial, as well as honesty. Kingdom lies to us all."

"Kingdom is more honest than your Protocol ever was!" Reyna growled, her grip briefly constricting tighter against Sage's throat and cutting off her air. "And don't even _try_ to convince me. I like you, Sage, but I despise liars."

Sage kept quiet, holding her breath as she met Reyna's glare with a more calm, if strained gaze.

"And you judge me still. For indulging in some of the sweetest blood I've taken, and the rest of my actions. I'm scum to someone privileged like you."

A silence lingered between them for a few seconds, with neither party looking away. Sage's gaze was shifting slightly, feeling the carbon dioxide building up in her lungs. She would need air at some point...

Sage placed her free hand on Reyna's wrist carefully. When Reyna's gaze shifted to it, Sage tugged away from her throat gently, like a silent request.

No, she had no words to describe Reyna, but she had a deep sympathy for the woman. She was not the first hurt person Sage had seen and dealt with, and would not be the last.

But, as sympathetic as Sage could be, Reyna was another beast entirely.

"And then you have the nerve to tell me what to do," Reyna whispered, her glare renewed on Sage's eyes.

The remainder of her air escaped with force when Reyna punched her stomach, causing the healer to cry out and be reduced to coughing violently, which further aggravated the burn in her lungs and the pain in her stomach.

Reyna released her hold, letting Sage fall a short distance before she caught herself, the pain sharply increasing in her hand from the tension of the knife. She pulled in the air quickly, bringing oxygen back into her system. She rose up — with some help from Reyna's hold on her free hand, strangely enough — shifting her hand slightly to find the best position for the least amount of pain.

She had done nothing wrong, surely? Sage spoke with action rather than the words she lacked air for. It was Reyna toying with her, and dragging this out as long as it has or she was looking for some other gesture. 

But this was also Sage's fault for letting Reyna get the better of her.

Reyna meanwhile had unlooped the gun from the healer, inspecting the Phantom in her grasp, and holding its centre before she looked at Sage.

"I like you Sage," Reyna repeated, moving Sage's free hand to the wall and held it there firmly. "But you need to remember your place."

Sage pulled back against her grip, but Reyna kept her hand exactly where it was as she raised the gun and slammed the butt of the weapon against Sage's fingers. The monk cried out, steeling herself from the pain with gritted teeth and feeling heat where the weapon impacted.

Reyna continued to use the weapon like a hammer. She bared her teeth as she struck again and again, like she was trying to break through the alley's walls. Sage's hand lasted two strikes before cracks began sounding from it and the pain increased tenfold.

Sage finally let out a scream, unable to feel her hand properly, only the agony that flowed through them. She could only tug uselessly and vent her pain through her voice as Reyna's onslaught moved down to the palm of her hand, shattering what bones came in contact with the gun.

When the woman finally lowered the gun and released her hand, Sage whimpered as gravity inflicted its own pain. Her hand felt as though countless shards of glass had pierced through it, and were moving like ice cubes suspended in water. It hurt for it just to exist — she did not dare try to move any part of her hand.

She kept her eyes on the floor ahead of her, blinking the tears from them. Reyna's fury came from her _defiance._ It would be suicide to look at her, and challenge the empress again.

Why, no matter what Valorant did, does she always win in the end?

"Please..." Sage started, her voice strained from the pain and screams. "I am sorry."

Reyna's breathing levelled after a few seconds. "For what, _corazón?"_

Sage closed her eyes swallowing back the dread in her stomach. "For challenging you... You are my superior."

How she loathed to admit it, and pander to the empress. But Reyna had destroyed that hand — it was useless, Sage doubted she could make the gestures to heal with it. If the other hand survived, Sage could mend herself. This was not a battle she could win. 

Reyna could take the victory. Sage would not lose what made her so valued, so useful — the reason she was regarded as the golden dragon more than anything else. She needed one hand to heal, and she hoped Reyna was satisfied with this admission.

"And I always will be. Try as you want, but you're all nothing," Reyna said as she took hold of Sage's wrist again, prompting a hiss from the healer and a slight reluctance to follow Reyna's gesture. "It's a pity, really. We could be so much more together. Perfect allies..."

Reyna set the gun against her leg as she took hold of the jade and silver ring on Sage's index finger, pulling it off quickly. It prompted a shorter, quieter grunt, but it still hurt a lot.

"Beautiful," she muttered, her eyes lingering on Sage, then to the ring.

Sage spared a pained look to it as she pulled her hand close to her body, hoping Reyna was just inspecting it. It was a token from her first monastery, something to remember the others by. It was also the only thing she had left of the place besides unreliable memories of what used to be before Kingdom tore it down searching for her.

It was a wonder how they did not catch her then and there. Maybe Valorant had a hand in it, but the important thing was that she was spared from Reyna's unfortunate fate, and she could help make amends to Viper and her friend, while saving the innocent.

When Reyna's eyes met her, Sage quickly looked down and away again. She did not need her other hand brutalised.

"It's important to you," Reyna stated, holding the ring out.

Sage looked back to it, then Reyna with some hesitation. "... Yes."

A frown tugged at Reyna's lips as she closed her hand around it. "I'll hold onto it then."

"Why?" Sage's visage shifted to one of puzzled shock as she looked back to Reyna.

Reyna had to be doing this on purpose, harming the healer while she could, seeing what made her tick or cry. Other Valorant agents had shared the same sentiments before, but only now did it click with the healer how heavy-handed Reyna was with the ordeal.

Though Sage tried to see the best in people, this situation placed Reyna low on the list of people Valorant could redeem. The utter hatred she had, simply because Sage was on the opposite side to her...

"It's good motivation. I'll give it back when you've earned my respect, _corazón."_ She pocketed the ring as she spoke. "I promise."

The sound of metal impacting against concrete echoed through the alley. Reyna quickly turned her gaze and surveyed the area, while Sage kept her gaze where the ring had disappeared.

"Damned Valorant," Reyna swore under her breath as she took aim at Sage's pinned hand and fired a few shots against it. 

Sage screamed from the renewed agony, feeling the bullets tear through the delicate skin and embed themselves in the tender flesh. Then, like rubbing salt into her wounds, Reyna twisted and pulled the dagger out then fled from Sage like she had not just brutalised her.

Sage fell to her knees, barely keeping herself from using her hands as leverage. She kept them close to her abdomen, her breathing hitched, the pain unbearable — she could feel herself becoming more lethargic, but she had to wait until they were here.

Sova's voice was vague at her right side. She looked at the Russian as he crouched down, setting his bow aside as he removed his cloak and circled it over Sage's shoulders.

That was enough of a sign that it was safe enough to pass.

* * *

She awoke with a start, taking a few seconds to realise she was no longer in the alleyways, but in the dark jet they arrived in. Her hands pulsed with the pain as soon as she tried to lean on something, and she pulled back quickly with a short hiss.

Two hands caught Sage's arms before she caused more damage to herself. The cool materials against her skin were somewhat soothing as she met the piercing, emerald eyes that watched her with a serious expression — Sage could not glean anything more due to the woman's mask concealing the lower half of her face.

"We don't have the supplies to patch up any more bleeds. Try not to hurt yourself."

"... I am sorry." Sage looked down, ashamed at her weakness.

"Viper..." Sova started with a sharp tone, leaning forward from his seat opposite them.

Sage caught sight of her own hands, and winced at the damage she could now see. Her left hand was completely disfigured and bruised with black and blue spots. Some bumps were visible under the skin of her hands, confirming the extensive damage Reyna had done to her. 

Her right was covered with a blue cloth — tatters of Sova's cloak, if she was not mistaken — and was tightly bandaged, with some stiff objects pressing against the inner parts of her hand, keeping it from moving too much.

"... Did you hear me?"

Sage looked back to Viper with a sigh, and some hesitance. "No. Reyna has completely incapacitated me. I am uncertain if I will recover completely from this."

"You might," Viper responded, slowly releasing her grip from Sage's arms. "It depends on one specific factor, however. What is the bare minimum movement you need to use your healing?"

Sage paused, pulling up mental images to be certain of her answer. "A simple flourish can heal small wounds. But for this, I would require my full range of movement."

Viper nodded, her eyes distant for a moment. "I can work with that. Do you need both hands, or just the one?"

"One is enough." Sage paused. "What are you doing exactly, Viper?"

"Taking responsibility," Viper scoffed. "It's my fault this happened to you."

Sage nodded and said nothing more. She knew this was also personal to Viper, particularly with the state of hands and the nervous system. Should they let this heal normally, Sage will not be able to use them as she used to — her strength will be lessened, her range of movement limited. 

Viper was the lead in this mission, but they could not predict Reyna's movements today. No, this was Viper making a point to restore her hands, to succeed where Sage failed the chemist.

The only real downside, if it could be called that, was if they succeeded and Sage healed herself completely, there would be no wounds to recall. Like nothing ever happened in the first place.

"What are the options?" Sage queried.

"We mend your right hand enough to move, and support it so you can heal yourself," Viper responded simply. "We could rush it if we get Killjoy to construct an exoskeletal support to help move your fingers."

"So long as it does not take more than a few months. My power is not timeless, and I cannot remain inactive."

"You're not doing anything until your hands are fixed. I'll take over the medical ward if need be," Viper assured. "Your job will be resting. Nothing more."

Sage gave a sad smile to Viper. "I suppose I will also have time to finish teaching Jett how to read. Writing on the other hand..."

It was initially a challenge assisting the wind assassin. She was terrified of some unknown punishment for failure, and was therefore skittish for the initial few months she was with Valorant. Sage had coaxed her out of her shell — she worked with children before, and she had a way with people few could match. 

Maybe it was not a bad way to spend recovery. At least she could still be useful on the verbal side of things, and discussing tactics.

"...Where is Raze?" Sage asked suddenly, looking around the sitting area of the jet.

"Flying." Sova stood up from his seat. "She needs the patience it teaches. Don't be too hard on her, Viper."

Viper rolled her eyes as the hunter made his way to the front of the jet.

"So," Viper started, rising to her feet and taking a seat beside the healer. "is that acceptable for you?"

"I trust you, Viper. If you say this is my best means of recovery, then I will do as you say."

Viper hummed. "And Reyna?"

"... I will need time to process what happened."

To a point, it was correct. Sage failed to understand why she could not antagonise the woman despite the injuries she inflicted on her allies. Something told Sage there was more to this, far more gray spots than the typical blacks and whites of their situation.

But, after today, when Sage thought of Reyna, she could feel an old anger she buried long ago wanting to rise. Kindness and sympathy were powerful emotions, but Sage knew better than to put all the blame on Reyna's unknown traumas.

"Make sure to speak to someone about it. Don't hold it over yourself," Viper said after a while, leaning back against the metal wall.

Sage nodded. She set her arms carefully on her lap, keeping her hands from pressing against anything.

Sage's brows creased in confusion as she looked at her injured limbs. "Why is the pain less?"

"Don't worry about that."

"I understand."

Viper had likely concocted something to dull the pain from whatever they had around — or a medical kit, surely these jets had such things — to make this trip bearable. Sage often frowned at the almost illegal feeling of these remedies. But in this case, she was thankful Viper knew chemistry to such an extent.

"...Do you think Reyna is traumatised?" Sage queried a while after, the question sudden on her tongue.

Viper pulled off the mask with a slight hiss, and let it hang from her neck. She massaged her cheeks for a few moments, then spoke with a clearer voice.

"I'm certain of it. Nobody is capable of such violence for no reason."

"But she is dangerous."

"Someone to kill on sight," Viper agreed,"or is this leading to another question or conclusion?"

"No," Sage responded. "I do not know why I asked this question."

"You're too kind. That's the only reason. Both a blessing and a curse. Don't let it kill you."

"Of course not."

It was interesting seeing Viper conclude the same thing Sage did, though using her own experience and the knowledge of other people. Definitely, Sage agreed violence to that degree is taught, or may come from a truly unhinged mind. She simply hoped that this would not end in death.

They had people like Reyna in Valorant — Viper literally sitting next to her — who still had compassion and empathy. They were people at the core, simply harmed by life and its deck of cards.

There was a small hope in Sage somewhere, she supposed, that wished for Reyna to find such peace in her life, so she would not have to commit atrocities like this to anyone else.

The fact that she stole Sage's ring, and left her with a challenge dampened the hope, but its light remained nonetheless.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this story. It evolved in a direction I had not anticipated, but was pleasantly surprised with.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Active Venom](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29218734) by [WorstSageEver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorstSageEver/pseuds/WorstSageEver)




End file.
